Freight-routing apparatus.



R. F. FITZHENRY &1.G.EBNER.

FREIGHT ROUTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25| 1915.

Patented June 2O R.F.FITZHENRY & L G.EBNER FREIGHT ROUTING APPARATUS. APPucAHoN HLED1UNE25.1911

l l @@,W A Patented June 20, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- l l l 'rma COLUMBIA PMNoempn col, 'Asnmn'roN. D. c.

RICHARD F. FITZHENRY `AND JOHN Gr. EBNER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FREIGHT-ROUTING APPARATUS.

Application filed .Tune 25, 1915.

To all whom t may concer/n:

Be it known that we, RICHARD F. FITZ- iinNRY and JOHN G. EBNER, citizens of the United States, and residents of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have inventedl certain new and useful Improvements in Freight-Routing Ap- The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of the devices used in connection with the system,

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a section taken onl substantially line :cw-m of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section taken on line g/-Jg/ of Fig. 2.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawings comprises a rectangular sheet metal box or casing 1 open at its front side and provided with a transversely extending partition 2 which divides the interior of said box into compartments 3 and 4l. In the latter compartment is provided an electric battery 5. Formed in the upper wall of compartment 3 adjacent the rearward edge thereof is a plurality of spaced perforations 7 and correspondingly formed in the partition 2 are spaced perforations 8, said perforations being adapted for engagement by loosely mounted vertically extending rods 9. A t the upper ends of rods 9 are provided enlargements or4 collars 10 which are'adapted to engage against the upper side of wall G to limit downward sliding of said rods. The perforations 7 are designated by digits A, there being three sets of said characters, the first of which includes digits from 1 to 9 inclusive, the

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented d une 2d, 19916.

Serial No. 36,300.

other two each including digits from l to 0 inclusive.

A box is intended to be mounted in each freight car to be loaded, each box having a number indicated at B provided upon the front side of the upwardly extending portion, of the rear wall thereof which corresponds with the spot occupied by the car, that is the location of the car in the freight yard, said spot being used also to indicate a certain destination. In the present case the box and the spot are numbered 137. The rods 9 are arranged to correspond with this number, the first digit and number or 1 being represented by therleft hand rod 9 occupying the corresponding perforation in connection with the first set of characters A. The second and third digits of said number are represented by the other two rods 9 occupying corresponding positions in connection with the other two sets of characters A as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In connection with the box are employed cards or tickets 11, a card being employed in connection with each shipment which is to be loadedA in the freight cars. Each card is provided at its front side with transversely extending lines or graduations C, the spaces between said lines at one edge of the card being designated by characters D correspondino aswill be seen with the characters A. s `the shipments come into the freight house, the routing clerk determines the route for the shipment and places the corresponding number opposite the spot indicated upon the card as shown at E. Then by means of a punch he indicates this number by punching along the graduated edge of the card forming slots 12. As each shipment reaches the car and is loaded in the same, the card accompanying the shipment is required to be placed in the corresponding box 1. It will be seen that if the shipment is in the proper car the slots 12 in the card will register with the rods 9 of the boX so as to permit of complete insertion of the card. If the shipment is not in the proper car it will be seen that the slots in the card will not register with the rods 9 thus preventing the complete insertion of the card. This, of course, will serve to advise the loader that the shipment is in the wrong car. To further advise the loader in case of error the front side of the box is provided with guide rods 13 upon which is lo that a mistake liasbeen made. VTo facilitatevertical movementof the crossbar aV two sections 14and 14 which are connected at their inner-ends by a block 15 of insu- 'latingmateriaL Mounted in the block 15,

as clearly shown in Fig. 4, is a vertically movable T-shaped member 16 adapted, Vwhen in normal position or at its lower terminal ofm'ovement, to be positioned out of engagement with the adjacent ends of members 14 and 14. In case of a card projecting from the boX as when a wrong card is inserted in the box, the edge of the same will protrude into the path of the member 16 so that when the cross bar is slid downwardly the lower end of the member 1G will Contact with the upper edge of the card and will be moved'upwardly intoV engagement with the ends of members 14 and 14v and thereby electrically connect the same. An electric bell17'is provided upon one side ofthe box, one terminal of which is connected by a wire 18 with one of the guide rods 13, the other terminal of thebell being connected Y bya wire 19 withone pole of the battery 5. 25'

' Y by a wire 20 withjthe other guide rod 13.

The other pole of the battery is connected By.' thisarrangement it will be seen that f the circuit through the bell Vand battery is broken at the insulating block 23 so that -upon elevation `of. the member 16 Yas just mentioned the circuit `through the bell will be closedandthus cause the same' to be sounded. The freight'loader in inserting a i Ycard'into` the boxjwill be Vrequired to first Vraise the cross .bar A -14-,14, *so that` when the cross bar is released andfmovedfdownwardly' by gravity, in the case of a rcard protruding from theb'ox the member 16V will be' elevatediand thus thebell 17 automati-A cally Asounded to laudibly advise the loader forwardly projectinghandle` 21- is provided y upon the cross bar which may be readily and easily engaged inthe movement ofthe latter: Upon vrthe cross baris Valso provided an .inwardly :projecting finger 22 which is adapted to engage against the uppersides Y Y n of thecardsto hold the saineinplace. yThis finger will also serve tolindicate whether or` not the cross bar waselevated before the insertion of a card, it being clear that in the event of a card having been inserted without 'ffii-st havingvraised the Ycross bar the finger 5,5

the card.

22 will be'positioned below instead of above Y 'With a system as above described itis believed that it will be'practically impossible eol togloa'dffreightshipments in awrong car,

the-eheckuponthe placing of the freight withthis systembe1ng so thorough as to practically V.eliminate error. 1

While weA have Yillustrated and described V.thev preferred form of Yconstruction for carryingour invention into effect, this iscapable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. IVe, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing a series of graduations along one edge adapted to serve as a guide in the slotting of said edge; a receptacle adapted to snugly receive said tickets; obstructions disposed perpendicularly relative to said tickets when arranged in said receptacle adapted for registration with and reception in the slots in said tickets; and means whereby the positions of said obstructions in said receptacle may be adjusted in a direction longitudinally of the slotted edges of said tickets, said positions and the graduations upon said tickets being correspondingly designated, substantially as described.

2. In a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets cach bearing a series of graduations along one edge adapted to serve as a guide in the slotting of said edge; a receptacle adapted to snugly receive said tickets; obstructions disposed perpendicularly relative to said tickets when arranged in said receptacle adapted for regis` tration` with and reception in the slots in said tickets; means whereby the positions of said obstructions in said receptacle may be adjusted in a direction longitudinally of the slotted edges of the tickets; and a plurality of seriesY of digits correspondingly designating said positions and the gradua- Ytions upon said tickets, substantially as described. l,

' 3. In a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing a series of graduations along one `edge adapt` ed to serve as a guide in the slotting of said edge; a receptacle adapted to snugly receive said' tickets; obstructions disposed perpendicularly relative to said tickets when arl lnation of a plurality of tickets each bearing v a series of graduations along one edge adapted to serve as a guide in the slotting of said edge; a' receptacle adapted' to snugly receive said tickets; obstructions disposed perpendicularly relative to said tickets when arranged in said receptacle adapted for registration with and reception in the slots in said tickets; characters correspondingly designating the positions' of said obstructions and the graduations upon said tickets; and a designation upon said receptacle corresponding with the characters represented by the posit-ions of said obstructions, substantially as described.

5. In a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing a slot in one edge a receptacle for the reception of said tickets; an obstruction in said receptacle adapted for registration with and reception in the slots in said tickets and adapted to prevent complete insertion into said receptacle of a ticket not slotted to cor` respond wit-h said obstruction; an alarm mechanism; and means whereby said alarm mechanism will be actuated through the medium of a ticket not completely inserted into saidreceptacle, substantially as described.

6. In a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing a slot in one edge; a receptacle for the reception of said tickets; an obstruction in said receptacle adapted for registration with and reception in the slots in said tickets and adapted to prevent complete insertion into said receptacle of a ticket not slotted to correspond with said obstruction; an alarm mechanism; a normally open electric circuit adapted when closed to eEect actuation of said alarm mechanism; and means whereby said circuit will be closed through the medium lof a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle; substantially as described.

7. In a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing a slot in one edge; a receptacle for the reception of said tickets; an obstruction in said receptacle adapted for registration with and reception in the slots in said tickets and adapted to prevent complete insertion into said receptacle of a ticket not slotted to correspond with said obstruction; an alarm mechanism; and a member mounted for movement adjacent the mouth of said receptacle and in a direction transversely of the plane of the tickets positioned in said re ceptacle, said member being adapted for engagement wit-h a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle to effect actuation of said alarm mechanism, substantially l as described.

8. In a freight routing system, the combination of a. plurality of tickets each bearing a slot in one edge; a receptacle for the reception of said tickets; an obstruction in j said receptacle adapted for registration with and reception in the slots in said tickets and adapted to prevent complete insertion into said receptacle of a ticket not slotted to correspond with said obstruction; an alarm mechanism; and a cross bar mounted for movement adjacent the mouth of said receptacle and in a direction transversely of the plane of the tickets positioned in said receptacle, said bar being adapted for engagelnent with a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle to effect actuation of said alarm mechanism; substantially as described.

9. In a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing a slot in one edge; a receptacle for the reception of said tickets; an obstruction in said receptacle adapted for registration with and reception in the slots in said tickets and adapted to prevent complete insertion into said receptacle of a ticket not slotted to correspond wtih said obstruction; an alarm mechanism; a normally open electric circuit adapted when closed to effect actuation of said alarm mechanism; means whereby said circuit will be closed through the medium of a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle; said means comprising a member included in said circuit mounted for movement adjacent the mouth of said receptacle and in a direction transversely of the plane of the tickets positioned in said receptacle; and switch mechanism carried by said member adapted to be closed through contact with a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle; substantially as described.

10. InA a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing a slot in one edge; a receptacle for the reception of said tickets; an obstruction in said receptacle adapted for registration with and reception in the slots in said tickets and adapted to prevent complete insertion into said receptacle of a ticket not slotted to correspond with said obstruction; an alarm mechanism; a normally open electric circuit adapted when closed to effect actuation of said alarm mechanism; means whereby said circuit will be closed through the medium of a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle, said means comprising guide bars mounted at the opposite edges of said receptacle at the mouth thereof, a cross bar slidably mounted on said guide bars in a direction transversely of the plane of the tickets positioned in said receptacle; and a switch mechanism carried by said cross bar adapted to be closed through contact with a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle, substantially as described.

11. In a freight routing system, the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing a slot in one edge; a receptacle for the reception of said tickets; an obstruction in said receptacle adapted for registration with andl reception in the slots in said tickets and Vadapted to prevent complete insertion into 'said member being adapted for engagement with a ticket not completely inserted into saidl receptacle to effect actuation of said alarm mechanism; and a finger on said member projecting inwardly into the receptacle A for engagement with the tickets positioned Vtherein, substantially as described.

l2.. In av freight routing'system7 the combination of a plurality of tickets each bearing V a slot in one edge;A a receptacle for the re-V ception of said tickets; an obstruction 1n saidv receptacle adapted forregistration With and reception in the slots in'sald tickets and Y adapted to prevent ,complete insertion into said receptacle of a ticket not slotted to correspond With said obstruction;V an alarm mechanism; a normally open electric circuit adapted When closed to effect actuation of said alarm mechanism; means whereby said circuit Will be closed through the medium of a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle, said means comprising a member includedv in said circuit mounted formovement adjacent the mouth of said receptacle and in a direction transversely of the plane of the tickets positioned in said receptacle; switch mechanism carried by said member adapted to be closed through contact with a ticket not completely inserted into said receptacle; and a finger on said member projecting inwardly into the receptacle for engai-gement with the tickets positioned therein, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names tol this specification in the presence of tivo subscribing witnesses. l

RICHARD F. FITZHENRY. JOHN G. EBNER. Witnesses:

JOSHUA R. H. Po'rrs, HELEN F. LILLIs.

Copies ofthisipatent may be Vobtainedvforlive cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patetl,

f Washington, D. C." 

